, 1887-09-06
COMING SCARCITY OF CATTLE.

A Chicago special to the Denver NetCS
says Thomas Sturgis was interviewed
there where he is in attendance upon the
meeting OF the executive committee of the
Consolidated Cattle Growers Association.
He spoke of the ridiculous published
statement that there were %, 600, 900 to
$4,000. 900 steers and about as many fe.
male cattle in the country, when the
closest possible estimates place the total
ownership at 5000, 900 as compared with
$4,000, 900 in 1885.
The mistake made, according to
Mr.. Sturgis, has been in ~supposing
that there is a wide margin in
the killing and dressing of beef.
There is no great margin said Mr..
Sturgis. "a woman in New York can
buy ten pounds of good, clean, lean, clear
beef for FIVE cents. No one can think for
a moment that the prices of meat have
not followed the cattle market. OF
course, there's a hundred pounds taken
from the loin of the finest cattle, for
which there is the greatest demand. and
for which a high price is paid. Thus it is
that porterhouse steaks and tenderloin
steaks keep the same price. It's exactly
on the same principle that sweetbreads
still cost a dollar. They are scarce, but
when you consider that there still re-
mains of the carcass 400 pounds of good
nourishing meat that can be bought
cheaper now than ever before, and one
will realize that the price of meat has
followed that of cattle. Only the ordi-
nary butcher buys a creature at five cents
that's equal to ten cents dressed,
and then you see he has to sell
the greater part way below the
cost price" Regarding the i'm.
pending scarcity Of cattle he continued f.:
well, we think there will not be a
beef famine but a scarcity that will cause
a dreaded advance. 1t can be reasoned
out thus: During the last six months
there have been more female cattle or
breeding COWS thrown upon the Chicago
market than ever before during the same
period OF time. With the prevailing
pllCCs Vi Dttl dlu Cdlllt IL uhS DcCOub
Improbable to keep them. Then, too,
for three years, there have been severe
winters in different parts of the range
country. Last winter there was a heavy
loss in Northern Montana and Wyoming.
The winter before that there was a fright
full loss in the Indian Territory country,
and the winter before that it was in the
New Mexico and the Panhandle country.
Added to all this there was a terrible
drought this spring from January to May
in all Western Texas. Thousands of cat,
tie persisted. Your own drouth has sent
thousands Of cattle to market, and you
must understand that when | speak OF
the wiping out OF breeding cows
referred to the country di-
rectly tributary to Chicago. | mean
Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin.
1t cannot be definitely stated when the
scarcity will begin to make itself felt, but
probably within six months, and when it
begins there will be little if any relief, Tor
two years or more. You must learn that
the present low price for cattle here
covers only the ordinary grades, and at
present choice prime cattle are bringing
in better prices. The low ebb has not
been caused by the shipment here OF any
great numbers of range cattle. The
drouth in the immediate vicinity of Chi.
cago has loaded the market with native
cattle. and the drouth in Texas has
started the regular runs from there a little
earlier and a little stronger than usual.